Hawkins_Ecology_Unit Invasive Species

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There's an alien in these waters!

An Introduction to the Invasive Species of Narragansett Bay

State Standards

RI GSE LS2 (9-11)

Context of Lesson

This is an lesson in a unit in Ecology, investigating the human impact on ecosystems and the biosphere. In this lesson, students will investigate the following key ideas
  • The concept of endemic verses introduced/invasive species
  • What are some of the invasive species in Narragansett Bay
  • How did these species arrive?
  • Biological Control

Opportunities to Learn

Depth of Knowledge

Level 2
  • Students will construct a fact sheet of a particular invasive species and investigate their impact on the ecosystem
  • Students will predict the affect that invasive species have on an ecosystem

Prerequisite Knowledge

  • The definition/concept of an ecosystem
  • Biotic and abiotic factors of an ecosystem and the differences between the two
  • Concept of a balanced ecosystem
  • Concept of biodiversity
  • Concept of competition

Plans for Differentiating Instruction

Process: Differentiated instructional methods
  • Inquiry Based Learning: Use of inquiry based learning will help create a student centered learning experience. Students work at their own pace and investigate a particular species. Through their investigations and research, they will come up with information that they find relevant.
  • Cooperative Learning: Use of cooperative learning will help students by allowing the group to investigate individual species and coming together as a whole to make meaning of a larger concept (invasive species conference and effect on class food web).

Accommodations and modifications

  • Student A: Accommodation needed for writing skills and comprehension of directions. Invasive species fact sheet provided to serve as a graphic organizer. Explicit instructions will be given on worksheet, as well as verbal directions to check for understanding. Accommodation can be offered to all students.
  • Other accommodations or modifications will be made according to IEP protocol.

Environmental factors

  • Lesson will take place in class
  • Students to work in groups of two
  • Laptops provided

Materials

  • Laptops
  • Reference materials
  • Invasive species fact sheet

Objectives

Students will be able to...
  • Define what is meant by invasive species
  • Investigate a particular invasive species and analyze how humans have played a role in the introduction of this particular species
  • Explain the effects that invasive species have on ecosystems

Instruction

Opening

  • Before class begins write the following questions on the board:
    • Have you ever competed with anyone in a competition?
    • What were you competing for?
    • Can you think of an example in nature where one species might compete with another?
  • Ask the students to share their answers. List what students were competing for on the board. Ask students to think about "What happens when a new species enters an ecosystem? What might they compete for?" List these answers on the board. Are their any similarities between the two lists?
  • Advise the students that today they are going to investigate the effect of invasive species on the Narragansett Bay ecosystem
  • Explain to the students that the goals of today are to:
    • Define what it means to be an invasive species
    • Investigate a particular invasive species
    • Share our research
    • Predict how these species might impact the native species of the bay.

Engagement


Activity 1 - Develop working definition of "invasive" species.
  • Ask students what they think of when they hear the term invasive species.
  • Show them video Invasive Species
  • With the students generate a list of characteristics that they think could describe an invasive species. This will be their working definition of an invasive species.
Activity 2 - Investigate Invasive Species in New England
  • Ask students: Do we you think we have invasive species in the NB? Why or Why not? Can you give me an example?
  • Give an example of one particular New England invasive species (e.g Asian shore crab). Explain how this organism affects other organisms (Aggressive and competitive, takes up food resources, omnivorous so will eat anything in sight. Disrupts the food web)
  • Ask students to determine why this particular organism is invasive.
  • Have the students organize themselves in pairs.
  • Each student group will be assigned a species to investigate.
    • Classroom resources such as books, magazines, laptops and desktop computers will be provided.
    • List of some Invasive Species in New England waters: Reference: http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/policy/inv1.htm
      1. Asian Shore Crab
      2. Green Crab from Europe
      3. Orange Striped Sea Anemone
      4. European Oyster
      5. False Mussel
      6. European Periwinkle
      7. European Opossum Shrimp
      8. Red Seaweed
      9. Dead Man's Fingers
      10. Nodding Head
      11. Asian Stalked Seasquirt


  • Explain to the students that they will be acting as researchers as they did when creating the food web fact sheet and ecobook worksheet. Explain that their goal is to research a particular species and discover its impacts on the bay. Their "research will then be shared with the rest of the class at an "invasive species" conference. Students will have to determine whether or not their species is invasive. Will give example with Asian shore crab, by filling our invasive species investigation sheet as a class.
  • Provide the materials to the students and let them work as a group to research and fill out a fact sheet answering questions about their invasive species
    Invasive species investigation.doc
    Invasive species investigation-sample.doc

Activity 3 - Invasive Species Conference
  • Ask students to complete their investigations and to organize a brief presentation to the class, which will present data which would allow the students to determine whether or not their species is invasive.
  • Students will reconvene to have an "invasive species conference". The class as a whole will discuss the information that they found. Each student group will be given a chance to present their research findings. Students should present the information that they have researched. I will model for the students giving them an example of a particular species.
    • Was this species invasive? Why or why not?
    • What problems does it cause?
    • What has the human response been, if any?
    • As a scientist, what could you do to help the situation?
  • The class will get to vote on whether or not they accept or reject the students data and vote whether or not they believe this species to be invasive.
  • As a class review the definition of invasive species. After hearing the students presentations, is there anything that they would like to add or remove to their definition. Agree on a definition and have the students record in their notebooks. (For example an invasive species is one that does not naturally occur in an area an economic or environmental harm is caused by its introduction.)
    List ways that invasive species have impacted the environment.
    • competition for food
    • competition for habitat
    • predation
    • other responses presented by students

Closure

  • Pass out copies of the class food web and ask students to think critically about how their invasive species affects the other species in the bay.
    • Does it take up habitat, food resources.
    • Is their invasive species a better competitor for these resources.
    • What types of habitats are invaded?
    • What animals are affected?
  • Collect all relevant materials at the close of class. (i.e finished invasive species fact sheets, reference materials, laptops etc.)

Assessment

  • Invasive species investigation

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